Long-term post-fire succession of reptiles in an urban remnant in south-western Australia

Abstract

Background Reptile responses to fire may differ between remnants and contiguous vegetation but this is poorly understood. Aims We aimed to explore long-term (≤15 years) post-fire responses of reptiles in an urban Banksia woodland remnant. Methods We trapped reptiles for 10 nights in November and December each year between 2009 and 2023 inclusive (except 2014 and 2019) to estimate relative abundance. We used mixed models to explore differences between unburnt and burnt sites and changes in both over time. Key results and conclusions The reptile community showed short-term negative responses to fire, but communities had returned to their pre-fire state within 3 years. Two species showed short-term (3 and 5 years respectively) negative responses to fire while two species showed positive responses; one in the first year post-fire only, and the other in sites >8 years post-fire. There did not appear to be consistent differences in fire responses between this study and studies conducted in contiguous Banksia woodlands, although differences in study designs renders this conclusion equivocal. Implications Reptile communities in Banksia woodland remnants, and the species they contain appear to be relatively robust to a wide range of fire regimes.